The Reason
by Kyllikki Kills
Summary: "And the reason is you," Lord David Nassau thought as he sat by her side watching her slow recovery.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

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The now twenty-two year-old Marquis of Athlum, David Nassau, had seen more than he cared to of the world and many of it's inhabitants. His friends remained the constant reminder that there was still good in the world. The horrors seemed to present themselves more often than the good still and this afternoon was no exception.

David sat on the throne waiting for nothing in particular. His troups were out on patrol though the threats to Athlum were gone. For the moment, there were no wars to be faught. 'Why trouble trouble if trouble isn't troubling you,' he thought to himself.

The moment the door to the throne room flew open he knew the peace he'd hoped for was shattered. What he saw didsturbed him more than he'd imagined possible. Several of the younger soldiers in his army were practically dragging a young woman who was shackled, bloody, and bruised. Without their support she would not be standing. She looked up at him with mistrust and pain blazing in her grey eyes but there was no fear there.

"What is going on," he demanded. Before anyone could answer he was on his knees before the girl looking at her wounds. When she didn't object or flinch a burning fury rose in him. "What have you done," he demanded looking around at the men.

"Lord David, she was heavy armed and refused to disarm before entering our city. When she..."

"So you thought it alright to engage in battle with a lone womans without even asking a superior officer or myself?"

"The laws state..."

"That is no defense for this intolerable treatment of a young woman traveling by herself. She should be armed," anger ate at him.

"Lord David," another of the men began.

"Silence. Unshackle her, immediately. Then return to your posts. I will retrieve you when I've decided what should be done."

The two who had been dragging her by her arms dropped her and glared a the young Marquis of Athlem. He caught her but though he wished to hold her and swear protection over her, he sat her in a kneeling position. Considering the destruction and misery his state had been put through recently, a dramatic devotion of his life, his forces and his homeland was likely dangerous.

"I've had enough of the two of you. Out of my sight before you make things worse for yourself." The youngest of the group unshackled her as he looked at David apologetically before darting out.

"I'm David Nassau, the Marquis of Athlum. I am truely sorry about how you've been treated here. We're going to make sure you recover and I personally will deal with the men who have harmed you." He turned to his generals, keeping a hand on her to steady her. "Two of you gather medical supplies. The other two, find the doctor."

"Yes sir," they said as they exchanging meaningful glances. After a moment the room was empty.

"My generals are suspicious of you. Is there anything you can tell me that will help in your defense? They're not happy in the least that I have not been more careful," he explained.

"You're soldiers... They're good people. Don't be too hard on them," she said before looking into his eyes. "All I can tell you is that I mean you no harm and that I have no idea how I got here." Her body swayed slightly.

"You say my soldiers are good men but how can that be so if they brought you to me like this," David asked as he reached his second arm out to keep her from falling the rest of the way to the gound.

"They didn't do all of this."

"Who did then," he asked.

"I can't remember," she shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "I just know they thought I was dead so they left me. Weapons and all in a large field between a mountain range and a forest. It all happened so fast," her head sank.

"It's alright. That's not going to happen again on my watch. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Aleka," she whispered. The tears that fell to the floor between them cut through him in a way no blade could.

"Aleka, I need you to trust me. My generals will not act without my command. You will be taken care of here. You have my word. It does not matter where you came from or where you are going. I do not believe you to be a threat to myself or my people. You have my protection," as he spoke the words he realized what that statement had cost him the last time but he was undetered by the painful memories of lost comrads. She nodded slowly in response but said nothing. She was getting weaker and more uspet by the moment.

The generals returned seconds later. "Here's the supplies you requested," one of them called as they headed down the corridor toward him.

"Take them to my chambers. She will not be left in the floor any longer," he called back the the most powerful people in his realm aside from himself. He pulled her into his arms and rose to his feet. Sweeping one arm under her legs he pulled her off her feet and made his way down the corridor with her pressed close to his body incase anyone got any ideas. To hurt her they'd have to risk his life and he felt sure they wouldn't do that. The foot steps that followed them were pensive, belonging to some of the most confused people in existance.

None of that mattered to him, though, even with the complete inability to understand the feeling, he truely believed the woman was not in Athlem to harm anyone. Briefly he wondered if she'd made up the story about his guard not being the ones who'd done most of the damage to protect them, him, or herself. He shook his head and swallowed his emotions. Looking down at her he smiled, awkward as it felt it brought a small smile to her face before her eyes closed and her head rolled against his chest. Whether she'd passed out or fallen asleep, panic struck him. He moved more quickly toward the large room he hulled himself in when he couldn't stand the thought of being around people.

"Emma [II], please go find her some new clothes. These are not only flithy but destroyed," he walked even quicker as he spoke but he felt more like running. Running from his guard, running from his feelings, his fears, his memories, her possible demise... He managed to keep his composure as the rest of the group sped up to match his pace. Carefully he lay her on the burgundy comforter that covered the massive bed. She opened her eyes drowsily, relief washed through him and reminded him of what it was he needed to be doing.

"Go back to sleep if you like," he whispered before the others entered the room. "I'll take care of you," he explained quickly for two reasons. The first was so she could go back to the sleep and the second was so that his generals wouldn't hear the exchange.

She winced and turned her body slightly to face him, watching his face as he began to look over her wounds once more. "I think we're gonna have some breaks but I haven't had time to check everything," he spoke as the group of people entered the room behind him. "Either way, I will do what ever I can while we await medical personel."

"Here you are, Lord David. We'll leave you until the doctor comes.

"Thank you. I understand you don't trust her but I do. Please continue to hold your judgments until she's well enough that we may know what happened to her and why she is here," he asked with weary eyes of the smallest member of the guard.

"Yes, Lord David, that would be wise," the small cross between a frog and a rabbit, known as a quitsi agreed with him. "Certainly no need to rush things."

"Thank you," he sighed before looking back down at her. When the generals left the room she was still awake though her eyes were glassy. "Is this soft enough," he asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she mumbled, barely audible.

"Alright this will be unpleasant," the blonde said as he began to dab at the most obvious wound, the cut on her cheek.

"It will be alright," she whispered. Her eyes were trained in on his face though her focus went in and out. She winced as he began to clean the cut carefully. Even though he could heal it without doing so, he thought she might appreciate not having an infection later on.

"The doctor will be here shortly, this may be easier if you are sedated..."

"No. Go ahead... Lord David, huh? You must have a lot of power and responsibility."

"I do," he nodded unconsciously.

"You're young though," she asked.

"Yes. Twenty-two. How old are you?" David asked, his voice quiet and stable but his emotions churning.

"Nineteen..." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to show the extent of the pain she was in. Though she felt sure it was a failed attempt, he said nothing. A moment later she opened her eyes. The blonde wiped her forehead with a clean cloth before moving on to the next wound. "You are tired as well," she spoke quietly.

"Yes. You are observant. There are more pressing matters than rest right now." His words were not scolding or chastizing though he felt they should have been. He was far too tempted to do all the wrong things without her speaking.

"Are there?"

"Yes. You're injuries are far more important than rest I would not be able to get anyway. Now try to relax. This will be painful." He spoke just before yanking her arm hard to set her shoulder back in it's proper place. Her scream pained him but he knew it had to be done. "I'm so sorry," he sighed as he moved on to her next visible injury.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

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By the time the doctor arrived, David had managed to set her broken bones and clean her wounds. The man grey haired man, appearing to be in his early fifties entered the room with a knock and made his way to the large bed in the middle of the room, accompanied by Emma who returned with an armful of clothing which she laid on the chest at the foot of his bed.

"This is Dr. Vinichi, sir. He'll be tending to... this woman. Here are the clothes you asked for. I was unsure of what size but I believe some of this should fit her," she spoke quietly avoiding looking at their young guest.

"Thank you Emma. You've been very gracious about all of this. If it's not too much to ask, rejoin the other generals while the good doctor and I tend to Aleka. I shall return when I know more. If any matters which need my attention come along I will be here for some time," he spoke slowly, as if in thought as he held the pale hand of his unexpected visitor.

"Yes sir," she turned and exited the room quickly as he turned his attention back to the slightly younger warrior. Her jet black hair was dampened and clung to her face from sweat, though it was roughly seventy degrees in his chamber. He wondered if it was the pain or the early signs of an infection. She'd managed to fall asleep shortly after he'd set her knee cap. Given the pain she'd suffered, he felt sure she was a warrior. Whether she was a warrior for hire or loyal to a country was yet to be seen. He noticed a thin scar that ran from her temple half way down her cheek bone. It seemed to had some validity to his thoughts. Silently he hoped that she held no allegiance to any other country, though they would no doubt find his care satisfactory, he wasn't sure he was ready to watch someone else leave. The fact that he didn't know her no longer mattered.

"Well sir, you seem to have assessed and attended to her wounds very thoroughly. I'm not sure how much restorative herbs will help at this point. They may make her more comfortable but the extent of her injuries will require recovery, none-the-less. If you need further assistance your generals will know how to contact me," the older man spoke as he rose from his place on the edge of the bed. "I shall order a knee stablizer be sent here for her. It may take a few hours for it to arrive but be sure she wears it, if you intend to care for her here."

"I do," he replied, the irony of his words only hitting him after they had been spoken. "... Intend to care for her here."

"Then the supplies you will need will be delivered here along with any instructions for her care," the doctor made his way toward the exit, not waiting for a response from the reserved leader.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your coming here. You will be compensated for your time," he said, not bothering to see if the man had exited the room or not. Several moments of silence, aside from her breathing, brought his thoughts to the hand in his. It was small and badly bruised. Traces of dried blood littered the pale skin of her hand. Fresher blood stained his own hands and the white gloves he wore. He sighed, knowing that she needed to be bathed and changed. He required some cleaning up as well. His blood stained clothing stood as another reminder of the state she was presented to him in.

He released her but couldn't find the will to move from her side for the moment. He guessed she was a very pretty girl at least, though it was hard to tell what she looked like under all of the blood and bruising. He wondered what had caused the now pale scar on her cheek. Had it been a sword or something much less sinister like a childhood accident? After taking a mental note to either wait out the story from her or find a polite, and unoffensive, way to ask her about it he rose from the bed and and made his way out of the room quietly in search of his generals.

The first place he checked was the throne room. It was significant to them all for several reasons. The main reason was it was where Lord David would receive visitors and other guests. Another reason he felt they might be there is that the room was the unofficial meeting room. Rarely did they use the actual meeting room which seated no more than ten and did not allow for any of the day's light to filter in. Most of the decisions regarding Athlum, unless they had serious implications for his domain we made in the throne room as opposed to room actually meant for decision making. He found them standing in a small circle, no doubt discussing the strange events of the day and his behavior but the group fell to silence before he was within hearing range.

Offering them a forced smile, he approached slowly. "I know this is coming as quite a shock to you all but I ask you give me time to learn what brought her here, where she is from and who exactly she is before you trouble yourselves."

"Understood, Lord David. The girl is top priority but not to be judged," Pagus spoke in his normal, slow and deliberate manner.

"Thank you. This is an odd request I'm sure but I need one of you to find a maid, aid, or nurse to help clean her up so that she may be at least clean and redressed upon waking. I would hate for ehr to wake covered in her own dried blood."

"Yes sir," Torgal responded with his void devoid of emotion. "I'm sure we'll find someone shortly. In the mean time you should look in to bathing yourself."

"I shall. I will bath in my quarters. I shouldn't be long," he sighed. "If you find someone, have them knock before entering," he said as he turned to make his way back to his room. "We shall discuss her further soon, I promise," he spoke before returning to the comfort of his own room. Everything remained as quiet as when he left so he retrieved some clothing from the closet and disappeared into his bathroom.

He quickly placed the fresh clothing out on the counter trying to avoid contaminating it with blood as well. The glimpse he caught of himself in the mirror forced him to do a double take. His formerly white gloves were stained in red at the hands but also had crimson splotches scattered throughout the material above his wrists. His boots had fared alright but his pants and robe were discolored in vast patches of crimson and he'd somehow managed to smear the blood across his right cheek. Though he knew it likely happened while he was cleaning wounds the sight sickened him. The blood he wore was hers and there was no denying that. He stripped quickly wondering if he could ever get the beastly image out of his head.

He turned the faucets on before gathering the hastily discarded garments and placing them in a basket to send to the laundress though burning them seemed much more pleasing at the time. Upon second inspection in the mirror, the water was too cool still and the clothes were taunting, he noticed the small streaks of red stained hair. It stood out against his dark skin and platinum blond hair. Briefly, he wondered how his generals had managed to look at him without batting an eye when he was covered in such massive amounts of another Mitra's blood. Shaken, he entered the shower and watched as the water turned red, then pink and finally returned to it's normal state before he lathered up his body with whatever scented soap had been left in the large shower.

Though he wished to hide in the room for hours and scrub all traces of her mistreament away, he made quick work of the shower. After dressing quickly he returned to her side and waited for assistance. The wait wasn't long and his generals had also sent up the medical supplies and linens. As the two maids busied themselves with preparing his bathroom for her he wrapped her up in the sheet so that she wouldn't be cold during the short trip from the bed to the bath.

"Aleka, these two ladies are going to help you clean up so we can properly dress your wounds and make sure you're more comfortable," he spoke quietly as he stroked her scarred cheek. It has somehow escaped the bruising the other one displayed so boldly. She nodded slowly before opening her eyes. "I shall carry you to the bath and assist them until you are in it. Then if you need anything simply let them know and the matter will be tended to."

He waited for her to nod once again before lifting her off the bed. Her pained moans tore at his heart but he believed she was in more pain than she let on. He turned toward the room he'd left only moments before. "This may not be a pleasant experience but they will work quickly to prevent as much discomfort as possible." Though it was very uncomfortable for him, he helped the woman remove the tattered clothing from her before setting her into the tub slowly.

"I shall take my leave now. I trust that you ladies will call me when you are finished," he asked as he looked around the room to make sure that all they needed would be there.

"Yes, sir," the replied at nearly the same moment. He exited the room quietly and returned to his blood stained bed. Finding it necessary to occupy his time alone, he made the bed, though not as professionally as the maids usually did. When that task was complete he took to sorting through his items, removing what he thought might be useful and moving them tot he bedside table.

It wasn't long before the women finished the task and called him away from his window to assist them once again. The young raven haired woman looked up at him pitifully when he moved to lift her out of the deep porcelain. His eyes remained on hers as much as possible as he stabilized her to dress. The awkward but necessary process took little time to complete though it left all of the parties involved with reddened cheeks.

David moved her to the clean bed before sliding the large brace over her leg, slowly tightening the laces as he worked it into position. He tightened the laces down until the brace hugged her leg tightly, preventing movement before tying the laces.

"You are finished for now and unless you require food or drink you are free to return to your rest." His hand gently brushed the back of her as he spoke.

"Sleep," she mumbled and sank back into the pillow, ignoring her damp raven locks. The only thing left for him to do was wait for her wake.

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